The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-12
CHARLESTON COMPLAINTS.
The Discrimination of Which She Com
plains-Why Her Young Men Leave

Her.
CHARLESTON, Sept. lot was discov-
cred day or two ago that Charleston was
being Disseminated against in freight rates
on the Greenville railroad. In plain Ian
guage, it is charged that South Carolina
cotton could be carried from points on the
Greenville railroad, and on the
Charlotte road to Norfolk and on
the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta
railroad to Wilmington, N. c., at cheaper
rates than it could be brought to Charles
ton. 1t is probable that there never has
been year since 1870 in which Charleston
has not been Disseminated against But
these recent cases have excited the indigna-
ton of the commercial community, and
Capt. Geo. Fl. Waller, an old merchant and
cotton factor, has been appointed special
agent to travel on the roads named get up
the evidence, and bring the matter before
the Railroad Commission.
THE STEAMSHIP MIDDLE.
While the two Exchanges produce and
Cotton were discussing the railroad discrim-
| nation matter another explosion occurred.
| The cotton men had found out that the
! Clyde line of steamers was making Charles
ton kind of flag station. The Clyde line
runs from New York to Jacksonville, Fla,
| Charleston being a kind of way station
| Now that cotton is coming i'll freely the
cotton shippers found that they could only
| get such freight room as was not taken in
Jacksonville. SO a meeting of the Exchange
was called and committee appointed to lay
a complaint before the Clydes. In answer
| the Clydes directed their agent to raise tho
rate on cotton from Charleston about SO
cents per bal. 1t is needless to say that
this made the cotton men mad. They at
once appointed an agent to go to New York
and offer inducements for the establishment
| of new line of steamers.
THE MOST SEVERE BLOW.
| On top of these two sensations comes the
announcement that the Northeastern rail
| road has been leased to the Wilmington and
Weldon railroad There is a disposition on
the part of the Coast Line people to belittle
| this transaction, but there can be no doubt
but that it is the most staggering blow that
has been dealt to this city in years. The
| Northeastern railroad runs through the gar
den spot of South Carolina, the rich Pee Dee
section. Disguise it as they NAV, the lease
means the loss to Charleston of over 100 900
bales of cotton year.
| REFLECTIONS.
| Is this not enough to stagger a city that
| has been effected as the old city has been?
For pure unadulterated bad luck, Charles
| ton is as prominent she is for standing up
under repeated misfortunes. Almost the
entire city debt of $4,050,000 was incurred
|
| in the State, which were expected to ben
eft Charleston, and all these railroads are
now run antagonistic to Charleston's inter
ests. One by one the roads leading
| from the city to the interior have
passed out of the control of the
| city. Opportunities were offered the
monied men of the city, to obtain the CON
troll of these roads, but they declined. So
that now the city is actually struggling for
| existence.
| A good many people here are disposed to
| lay the blame for this state of affairs where
| it belongs-on the heads of the people of
Charleston themselves-and review of
the facts will probably bear them out
1t is an indisputable fact that there is no
unanimity of opinion here on matters
affecting the interests of the city. A writer
in the Net0s and Courier to-day asserts
| positively that the reason Wilmington took
so many bales of cotton from Charleston
last year, and is likely to take more this
year, is because the Wilmington cotton
| buyers send agents to the interior towns in
the State and the Charleston cotton buyers
do not.
Another writer suggests that if Charles
ton wants another steamship line to New
York, and thinks it will pay. the best way
to get the line is to subscribe half the CAPT
tai stock and then send an agent to New
York. And yet it is doubtful if $4,000
Against this it may be mentioned that at
least 81 ,000,0 900 of Charleston capital has
been invested during the last year in Ala
| bama
Another appalling fact that stares us in
the face is that a very large proportion of
the young men of the city are elnigrating
| Within the past twelve months over 100 of
the brightest and best young men of Charles
ton have left the city and settled elsewhere,
and, strange to say, nearly all of them are
prospecting. If the emigration continues
much longer there will be very few of the
rising generation left here.
Why do they gos l asked the question of
a young man who lately left here for Ala
bama. If l should mention his name it
would be recognized by nine-tenths of the
people of Savannah as that of a man who
has figured prominently in almost every
public event in Charleston for the past
twelve or thirteen years. II am going he
said, because Charleston is no place for a
young man to thrive. We have no show
here" Then he recited to me dozen in
stances where bright, active, intelligent
youths had vainly striven to make living
in their native city, and who. after giving
up, had gone abroad and prospered His
own experience is sufficient He had been
connected in fiduciary character land on
starvation wages with a large moneyed
concern. For twelve years, he said, he had
|
aggregating $500 year. Recently he
wanted to borrow a few hundred dollars,
and naturally went TO the bank that he had
been dealing with for so many years. He
offered a good indorser. He was himself
known as a man of strict integrity, sober,
diligent and reliable. He was refused the
loan. And vet that same bank has lost
more money by the dishonesty of unknown
spectators than all the other banks COM
bined perhaps.
Again said my friend In almost every
city in the United States young man who
is growing up and raising family on mod
crate wages can secure home for himself
on terms that are within his means. He
can't do it in Charleston. The rich men of
this city think only of themselves. Some
times they build houses, frequently they
build negro tenements in disreputaoie local
tiles and hand them over to agents to col
lect weekly rents. There are one hundred
men in Charleston who could build blocks
of decent houses and sell them to worthy
and struggling young men on the install
ment plan, and make money in'the bargain
Rich men in other cities do this, but not
those in Charleston. There is a gentleman
here whose income is said TO be 5000 a day
! don't know this, but | can take you to "a
dozen houses belonging TO him TINT are not
| tnI H.-gA l.,